PINEHURST, N.C. — Two contrasting theories will be in play off the tees at Pinehurst No. 2 for this week’s US Open. Which one works best is anybody’s guess. We likely will know by Sunday night.

When play begins on Thursday, there are two strategies the players will employ to attack the course:

Go big or go home.

Or …

Lay back and survive.

Delivering a perfect cross section on differing strategies, two of the biggest hitters in the game on Tuesday offered completely different perspectives on how they will play the course.

“The greens are so repellant that you need to get as close to them as possible, so I’ll be hitting a lot of drivers,” Phil Mickelson said. “I’ll be playing the golf course fairly aggressively.”

And on the flip side …

“A lot of times I’m going to be laying back,” reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson said. “I’m going to have 200-plus yards into par-4s. It’s a second-shot golf course, the greens are so difficult.’’

Therein lies the diabolical nature of Pinehurst No. 2: Its crowned greens, which are as receptive to players’ approach shots as Tiger Woods answering his door to an unannounced stranger at his home in exclusive Jupiter Beach, Fla.

Watson clearly sounded as if his strategy is to take the conservative approach this week.

Mickelson plans to take an approach similar to the one he used at Winged Foot in 2006, when his damn-the-deep-rough philosophy was to hit it as far off the tee as possible so, should his tee shot land off the fairway, he was at least closer to the green with his second shot.

“The golf course here gives you a variety of options off the tee,’’ Mickelson said. “You’re taking on a little bit more risk with the driver.’’

Bubba Watson watches his tee shot on the fifth hole during a practice round Tuesday on Pinehurst No. 2.Photo: APPhil Mickelson surveys his lie on the 18th during his own practice round on Tuesday.Photo: AP

What players such as Watson are afraid of with missed fairways is the consequence of the scruffy areas on each side, which have replaced traditional rough. The course has been redesigned to bring it back to the way original designer Donald Ross built it, with natural areas of sand and wiry grass the penalty for a missed fairway.

Watson sounded like he wants no part of hitting out of there. Mickelson sounded like he almost embraces the chance to create shots from the scrub.

“You do need a little bit of luck, but the waste areas are playable,’’ Mickelson said. “You can at least advance the ball up by the green nine times out of 10, then rely on your short game. So if you can get the ball closer to the green off the tee and hit a driver, I think it’s worth it.

“If you assess the lie right, you can create a shot to get up by the green. The hack-it-out rough requires no recoverability. I think the most exciting shot in golf is the recovery shot, and this is going to provide some exciting recovery shots.’’

Though Mickelson spoke reverently about the layout and its challenges, Watson, said he thinks “this US Open is the toughest we’ll play … well toughest for me.

“For me personally it’s going to be all about the tee shots,’’ Watson said. “I’m going to try to lay farther back than normal, because it’s still iffy hitting in that … I don’t know what they call it — rough, dirt, sand? You don’t know what kind of lies you’re going to get. It’s going to be a tough test of golf. In four days I’ll tell you how much I really like it or how much I really hate it.’’

Watson compared the “natural’’ waste areas on either side of the fairways to the scruffy course he grew up on playing in Milton, Fla., where, he said, there are “a lot of pine trees, sand everywhere and we don’t call it natural area, we call it weeds where I grew up.’’

Watson said his plan off the tee is “about hitting fairways’’ and avoiding the weeds.

“I’m not saying it’s the right strategy,’’ he said. “Hopefully in four days I can tell you it was a great strategy. But that’s what I’m planning right now. Now, if I make a few bogeys and doubles right quick, I might switch to the driver.’’

Mickelson, meanwhile, was bubbling with excitement about the course and its set-up.

“This place is awesome,” he said. “It’s just a wonderful test that is, I think, the best test I’ve seen to identify the best player.’’